Hydrostatic



R. H. SHADRICK HYDROSTATIC GAS HEATER C-ONTROL Fi1-ed Aug. 5. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. l1 1923.

R. H. SHADRICK HYDRosTATIc GAS HEATER CONTROL Filed ug. 5,

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 11,1923.

UNITED ser .Ties

RICHARDJH: SHADRICK, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESTALL Application ledAugust 5, 1922.y Serial 579,967.

To all elf/om 'it may concern:

Be it known thatV I, RICHARD H. SHA1).- incn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and usefulV Improvements in Hydrostatic Gas-Heater Controls, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to controls for water heating systems andthe main'object is to provide a simple, practical and easily operated hydrostatically. controlled means for lightingand extinguishing `a gasfburner used forheating water in private dwellings or other places where comparatively small sys tems areinstalled. Further objectsY will be disclosed in the course ofthe following specification, and .thedeviceis clearly illustrated in the structure shown in theaccompanying drawings, wherein: f

Fig. `l is a diagrammatic viewcot-a water system equippedwith my improvedhydrostatic contro-l; x

liig.V 2 is anlenlarged detail section-on the line 2f-2in Fig.,V

Fig. 'Y is anA enlargedrvertical sectionA on the line. 3-3 in Fig. :1, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view of'the plunger as shown on line^4-4. in F ig 3, f

Referring to the drawings n ioreparticularly and'byjreference characters, 5 designates a hot water tank whichisffed with coldiwater througha pipe and delivers the heated'water througna pipe 7 .tothe faucet or water valve 8. A gas heater` 9,.otfcorn mon construction, is piped, by pipes 10 and 11, Vin circuit with the tank 5, the pipeV 11 being connected with the pipe 7' so that the hot water can be drawn otidirectlyV tronithe heater 9, or from the tank 5' when suii'cient water therein has been heated. The heater Q-hasa gasburner- `12 atthe end of a gas pipel. A pilot light 1'4 is providedwhich burnsatv all timesfso that whena. gas valve l5., soon to ble d eseribed, is openedthe burner will .light, land whenV the valve is closed the bnrner, willA go out, burning.

The.. water inlet` pipe, 6 is4 normally a direct.. continuation of? a pipe .6?, but, when installingzthis devicethese pipes are, separated... (as` Shown) and pipes liand 17' pare respectively; ccnnectecito ,lpipes-.Gg'anlfa' '111e leavingy the pilot light other ends of they pipes 1-6and 1'7gare. connected with the gas valve operating and controlling device, which is constructed and operated-as follows: Y y

The upper end ofthe device consists of a cylinder 18 which is tightly secured; by bolts 19, between'acap 20 anda casting 21, which close itsjends. K The pipe'l screws into the cap 2O, as at, 16a, and communicates with one end ofthe-cylinder, while -the'pipe 1 7 connects as at la, with apassage 22`in the casting 21, and thus communicates witliithe other end ofthe cylinder 18: A1 piston 28 is slidable in the cylinder-18, andis'secured to one end of aplunger rod 24y which reciprocates in a packing nipple'25, and'has-a weight26 at'itslower end;g f' The pistonY 23' is` providedly with perforations 27 sothat water can at' certain timesl -iiow from the pipe; 17 to .the pipeI 16,- through the cylinder 18.' But this flowvis-*checkei .at other times, by av valve 2 8, which isyield!y ing y separated from the piston byY a coil spring 29. v

When the plunger rod 2 4y is dow-n, the

valve 28 ahuts against asealing washer- 30,

and engages the cap 20.;

The gas valve 15` is: preferably aA stock valve ofV standardVl construction and design, in whicha core 32, having a.transverse*pas-A 'safre 38 Fim has. a s uare turninosliank C C* 7 b 34. Asquare holedratchet member-85 is'placed on the shank 84,-' andjad'jacen-t yto itis rotatablysecured, by a;bolt- 36,' alever member 37, whichris provided'with a pair ofespriiig held., pins 881 vadaptedto engage against the ratchet' S5-and thusactuate the valve: The

outer end of the lever 37 is providedwith a longitudinal slot 38l inwhich slidably` engages a pin 39 'fixed on-thero'd24. y

The member 35 .isfurther provided-with a pair of radial pins. 40',`v either otwhich, when in a vertical position; will form an electriclcontact withV aV brush member r4l, which is secured to but"insulatedy from 'the valveloQdy as at`42; From the-.brush member. 41.1.2.l wire; 43 j isf run tola battery- 44, A;

by a pin 31., wliichslides inthe piston-V23 wire 45, from the other pole of the battery, is connected with a bullseye light e6 (se cured near the faucet or water valve S) and from there is grounded as at el?, to complete the circuit.

lihen the device is completely installed as above described, and the pipe 6 is connected with a city'water supply main, the operation may be briefly described as follows:

l/Vhen no water is being drawn the parts are in the position indicated in Figs. 1, 8 and Ll; the faucet or water valve 8 is closed, the plunger rod 24 is down, the .valves y15 and 28 are closed, the pilot light 14- is burning, and the light t6 is out. Now, when person in the kitchen or bathroom of the house desires to heat water, he only nas to open the faucet 8 for a moment and then shut it, with the result that the burner 12 and the light 46 will bot-h light. By opening tlie faucet 8 and relieving the pressure in the pipe 6a, a current will be caused to dow through the pipe 17, passage 22, cylinder 18, pipes 16 and 6, through the heater 9 and tank 5, and pipe 'Tto the faucet 8. As the pressure in the pipe 16 is relieved the pressure from the pipe 17 will cause the piston 23 to rise until the pin 31 strikes the cap t2()v and opens the valve, thus allowing free passage of the water through the system. This movement also causes the lever 37 to give a quarter turn to the valve plug 32,'thus open- 'ing it,` and causing the burner to light. One of the pins 40 will at this time contact with the brush 41, thus lighting the light fl, so

that the operator will be notified that the gas is burning. A lVhen he has shut the fau cet after first lighting the burner the parts will drop back to their normal position leaving the valve 15 open, as the pressure Von each side of the piston will then be neutralized and the weight 26 will be sufficient to return the plunger. When sufficient water' has been heated the gas can be turned off by again opening the faucet or water valve, which will of course be done anyway when the hot water is drawn. This, it is obvious, will also extinguish the light e6.

It will be noted that the device is connected with the cold water intake pipes 6, 6a. It would of course be equally operative if it were cut in between the heater and the faucet, but in this event both hot and cold water would flow through the cylinder and would be more apt to injure the valves and piston because ofthe differences in temperature to which they would be subjected.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the design and structural details of this invention, provided, however, that such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Ylrlaving now.l therefore fully shown and described my invention', what I claimV is:

l.. The combination of a heater control ling valve, a second valve, and ymeans controlled by the'o-peiiing and closing of the second valve to open tlieffirst valve upon initial opening and closing of said second mentioned valve and to close the first valvey upon a second operation of the second valve. 2, The combination of a water'heater, a faucet for drawing water therefrom, a gas valve for controlling the flow of gas to the .7

, eating with 'the heater, a burner in the heat er, and a hydrostatically operated means con-v nected in circuit with the system for alternately lighting and extinguishing the burner by successive operations ofthe faucet,

A. InY combination in a water heating l system, a water heater, a faucet communieating with the heater, a; burner in the heatl er, means, operatively controlled by the fau- Acet whereby every other complete operation of the Vfaucet willv light the burner and each intervening operation of the .faucetV will er;-r tinguish the burner. Y A

5. The combination with a water heating system, of a heater controlling valve having a plug, with. a transverse passage, to: be ro-V tated in one direction, a faucet for drawing the system to rotatesaid valve plug a quarter revolution, whereby the valve is opened and closed alternately by successive releases of pressure.

6. The combination of a heater control-s ling valve having a rotating core, a cylin-vl der connected inV circuit with awater sys tem, a. piston slidable in the cylinder and.

Awa-ter from the system under pressure, and

means operative by releasing the pressure in actuable upward by a flow of water in the system, and a clutch mechanism operated by said piston toturn said valve core, in quarter revolutions in the same direction,Y one quarter revolution for each upward movement of the piston.v y i' 1 7. In a water heating system, a lgiydro-4 static valve actuating device, consistingfof a cylinder connected -in circuit withthe water system, a piston slidable in the cylinder,l

a plunger rod secured at one end to thep'isv 120 f ton and having a. weight at its other'end,"a

pawl and ratchet mechanism for actuating said valve, and operative yconnection between the plunger rod and said mechanism.

8. In a water heating system, a heater for heating watera faucet communicating with the heater for drawing water therefrom under pressure, a valve controlled gas burner under the heater, and an actuating member actuable -b a movementA of vwater 130 i Y V y through the system, for alternately opening and closing the gas valve, respectively, upon successive complete operations of the Jfaucet.

9. In combination with la hot water heat-- ing system having a. heater, a ho-t water tank communicating therewith and a faucet communicating with the tank and heater for drawing water therefrom under pressure, of a burner in 'said heater and hydrostatically controlled means operative by each successive opening of the faucet for alternately lighting and extinguishing said burner.

10. In a water heating system, a hydrostatically operated valve actuating mechanism, consisting of a cylinder connected in circuit with the water system, a piston slidable in the cylinder, and operative connec-l, tion between the piston and thel valve to effeet opening the latter with each alternate upward movement of the piston and to effeet closing said valve upon each intermediate upward movement of the piston.

11. The combination in a water heating system, of a heater, a gas burner for heating the same, a valve regulating the flow of gas to the burner, a pilot light to light the burner, a valve adapted to draw water under pressure from the system, a hydrostatically operated mechanism, controlled by said water valve, to open said gas valve upon initial opening and closing of the water lvalvev and to close the gas valve upon a second opening f and closing of the water valve.

12. The combination in a Water heating system, of a gas valve, a cylinder connected 1n circuit with the water System, a piston slidable in .saidcylinder and actuable up- :sesl

ward by aumovement of Ywater through' theV system, means for normally retaining said piston in a downward position," said piston having perforations for a flow of water therethrough, a valve normally closing said per- Vii'orations, means for opening :said valve when the piston is raised, and operative con- Y RICHARD H. SHADRIK. 

